RCR & Scholarly Activity In-Person Training
Introduction
Going to start by answering some key questions:
- Why is this necessary?
- Who made this decision?
- Who needs the training and when?
Why is UK mandating RCR training?
“As a public institution of higher education, public confidence in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) by faculty, staff and students is critical. We must promote and maintain a culture that is supported by an infrastructure that educates and assists in the ethical conduct of research.”
Lisa Cassis PhD, former UK Vice President for Research (VPR)
UK has had research misconduct cases in the past few years due to a failure of some researchers to follow Responsible Conduct of Research.
This effects:
- The reputation of UK and its researchers;
- Researchers/research personnel affiliated with the wrongdoer;
- Personnel managing the process for research misconduct;
- Researchers doing honest work that could have received the research funding used;
- General public if faulty data is used in publications is relied upon by the medical community, product development, etc.
Examples
*Then College of Medicine Dean Robert DiPaola was a co-author on one paper
Who made this decision?
“In an effort to ensure a baseline level of responsible conduct of research awareness and hopefully prevent research misconduct, a mandate of responsible conduct of research training was initiated based on a decision by a committee of representatives from several UK offices including offices under the VPR, the legal office, and the Dean for the College of Medicine at the time (current Provost).
Who needs the training and when?
All researchers and research-eligible UK personnel and graduate students are required to adhere to the RCR online course mandate in addition to the in-person training/discussion and it must be completed biennially.
Included in the mandate:
- Full-time faculty
- Staff
- Graduate students (only have to complete the training once)
- Trainees (undergraduates, postdoctoral fellows, visiting scientists)
- Individuals supported in part or fully through research funding, grants and contracts.
What does the training include?
- Online Training
- Individuals complete modules and associated quizzes through the CITI platform.
- Must be completed every 2 years by research-eligible individuals. *Graduate students complete the components once unless joining a research project, grant, or sponsored project.
- In-person training / discussion
- One, one-hour session attended on Zoom or in-person on campus.
- Must be completed every 2 years.
Areas of RCR Training at UK
- Mentoring
- Conflict of Interest
- Peer Review
- Research Misconduct
- Data Management
- Safe Work Environments
- Reproducibility of Research Results
What Will The Rest of the Day Look Like?
- Observe 3 case studies
- Discuss in groups
- Summarize key points
Must have minimum 1 hour of contact together
Case Study One
Mentoring
In this session, learners will learn about self-plagiarism.
Through this case, learners will:
- Learn about appropriate behavior with regards to mentoring
- Consider how to respond to safe work environment issues
- Learn how to report misconduct at the university
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario. What issues can you identify?
- What are the responsibilities for both the mentor and mentee in developing a respectful and productive working relationship?
- What could Nicole do if her PI is unwilling to meet? Is there anyone else she can contact to try and resolve the situation?
- How can Dr. Sha create a more inclusive working environment?
- What are ways you can help promote a safe working environment?
Additional Resources
- UK ORI resources:
- Webpage:https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity
- UK Responsible Conduct of Research & Scholarly Activity webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research
- Research misconduct webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct
- Research misconduct policies: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct/policies
- UK ORI Faculty Advisor responsibilities video resource (for IRB protocols): Faculty advisor responsibilities_01242022 (uky.edu)
- UK Faculty mentoring resources (Provides links to mentorship books, articles, podcasts and examples of mentorship programs and policies): https://www.uky.edu/ofa/faculty-mentoringresources
- UK Ombud (Addresses Student Academic Rights and problems concerning the commission of academic offenses):https://ombud.uky.edu/
- UK Graduate School (Provides information on student funding, faculty and staff resources and graduate student information): https://gradschool.uky.edu/
- UK Graduate School Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (Includes postdoc events and educational resources): https://www.uky.edu/postdoc/
- UK Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO handles complaints of discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct for the University of Kentucky):
- Address: 18th Floor, Patterson Office Tower, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0027
- Phone: (859) 257-8927; fax: (859) 323-3739
- Website: https://oeo.uky.edu/
- Discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct reporting form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofKentucky&layout_id=30
- UK Human Resources (Provides employee information including the staff handbook, employee relations information and employee training): https://www.uky.edu/hr/home
- UK Center for Support and Intervention webpage (Provides a central point of entry for concerns regarding students and employees and connecting individuals to resources.): https://www.uky.edu/concern/
- UK Center for Support and Intervention (Provides a central point of entry for concerns regarding students and employees and connecting individuals to resources.): https://www.uky.edu/concern/
- UK Healthcare Corporate Compliance Office (Provides a centralized location for reporting illegal, unethical or abusive conduct): https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/staff/corporate-compliance
- UK’s Administrative Regulations (AR): policies adopted by the President to implement the Governing Regulations and provide for the general administration and oversight of the University.
- Link to all ARs: https://www.uky.edu/regs/administrative-regulations-ar
- NSF Resource on harassment: https://www.nsf.gov/od/oecr/harassment.jsp
- NIH Anti-Sexual Harassment resource: https://www.nih.gov/anti-sexual-harassment
Case Study Two
Research Misconduct: Generative AI
In this session, learners will consider issues related to research misconduct and the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in research and creative endeavors.
Through this case, learners will:
- Consider ethical approaches to research and creative work.
- Learn about resources related to the presented scenario.
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
- Is William correct in their assumption that they will not be held liable for the text used from the generative TextAI software?
- Does UK have any guidance on using generative AI/machine learning in research endeavors?
- What advice would you give to the student about using generative AI/machine learning in their research endeavors?
- Are there any concerns researchers should take into account for entering data into a generative AI software?
Additional Resources
- UK ORI resources:
- Webpage: Office of Research Integrity (ORI) | University of Kentucky Research (uky.edu)
- Research misconduct webpage: Research Misconduct | University of Kentucky Research (uky.edu)
- Research misconduct policies: Research Misconduct Policies | University of Kentucky Research (uky.edu)
- Authorship and Collaboration resource: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct/authorship-and-collaboration
- UK ADVANCE Team: Home | ADVANCE Team (uky.edu)
- UK Information Technology Services Cybersecurity Compliance: Cybersecurity Compliance at the University of Kentucky | Information Technology Services (uky.edu)
- iThenticate resource: iThenticate @ UK | University of Kentucky Research (uky.edu)
- UK Good Research Practice Resource Center: https://www.research.uky.edu/good-research-practice-resource-center
- UK Faculty mentoring resources (Provides links to mentorship books, articles, podcasts and examples of mentorship programs and policies): https://www.uky.edu/ofa/faculty-mentoring-resources
- UK Ombud webpage (Addresses Student Academic Rights and problems concerning the commission of academic offenses): https://ombud.uky.edu/
- UK Graduate School webpage (Provides information on student funding, faculty and staff resources and graduate student information): https://gradschool.uky.edu/
- UK Administrative Regulations (AR): Administrative Regulations (AR) | University Regulations (uky.edu)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Research Integrity website (provides information and resources on RCR research and misconduct as well as general research information):
- Webpage: https://ori.hhs.gov/
- DHHS ORI’s Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research: https://ori.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2018-04/rcrintro.pdf
Case Study Three
Safe Work Environment
In this session, learners will consider issues related to a safe working environment and how to address these concerns. Learners will review a brief case study and respond to questions related to the presented scenario.
Through this case, learners will:
- Examine a scenario in which an employee no longer feels they have a safe working environment
- Consider how to approach such a scenario
- Learn about university resources related to the scenario
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
- What should Martha do?
- Do you think she is overreacting?
- Should she discuss her discomfort with her supervisor? If so should she do it one-on-one or have a neutral third party be present as well?
Additional Resources
- UK ORI resources:
- Webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity
- UK Responsible Conduct of Research & Scholarly Activity webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research
- Research misconduct webpage and reporting tool: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct
- Links to policies: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct/policies
- UK’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO handles complaints of discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct for the University of Kentucky):
- Address: 18th Floor, Patterson Office Tower, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0027
- Phone: (859) 257-8927; fax: (859) 323-3739
- Website: https://oeo.uky.edu/
- Discrimination, harassment, or sexual misconduct reporting form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofKentucky&layout_id=30
- Link to ADA compliance information: https://oeo.uky.edu/user/login?destination=/key-priorities/ada-compliance
- UK Disability Resource Center: Disability Resource Center | seeblue (uky.edu)
- UK Police Department: https://www.uky.edu/police/
- Webpage: https://www.uky.edu/police/
- In case of an emergency, UK Police can be contacted at one of the following: On-campus caller dial 911; off-campus callers dial (859) 257-8573; cell phone users can call via #8573.
- LiveSafe app: a personal safety mobile app UK provides to all students, faculty, and staff to download for free. The app provides a quick, convenient, and discreet way to communicate directly with the University of Kentucky Police Department about potential risks and threats before they escalate, thereby enhancing your overall safety. https://police.uky.edu/safety/livesafe
- UK Human Resources webpage (Provides employee information including the staff handbook, employee relations information and employee training): https://www.uky.edu/hr/home
- UK Center for Support and Intervention webpage (Provides a central point of entry for concerns regarding students and employees and connecting individuals to resources.): https://www.uky.edu/concern/
- UK Healthcare Corporate Compliance Office webpage (Provides a centralized location for reporting illegal, unethical or abusive conduct): https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/staff/corporate-compliance
- UK’s Administrative Regulations (AR) policies adopted by the President to implement the Governing Regulations and provide for the general administration and oversight of the University Chapter 7 Research and Intellectual property. Chapter 6 Safety, Security and Environmental Quality https://www.uky.edu/regs/administrative-regulations-ar
Feedback
Reflect
- Let’s identify three main takeaways from the training.
- What lingering questions do you still have regarding the content?
- How might you improve this training specifically for CI faculty / grad students in the future?
Case Studies
Post-session RCR Case Study Survey - https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79CaFBt2jglwtMi
Thank you!!
